Four earthquakes were recorded northeast of Tenerife on Wednesday, with the strongest tremor reaching magnitude 3.6 and felt by residents in La Laguna. No damage or injuries have been reported.
Details of the four tremors
According to the National Geographic Institute (IGN), several earthquakes were detected on Wednesday, with magnitudes ranging from 2.3 to 3.6 on the Richter scale. The strongest tremor occurred at 6.37pm at a depth of around 34km, as reported by Canarian Weekly.
Two of the four earthquakes occurred at depths of 35 and 36km, registering magnitudes of 3.0 and 2.3 respectively. The fourth earthquake was much shallower, at a depth of 16km, with a magnitude of 2.8.
Tectonic activity indicated
According to the IGN, this particular area does not normally experience a high number of earthquakes. This indicates that the tremors are likely to be associated with tectonic activity rather than volcanic activity.
The Canary Islands do experience regular seismic activity due to their volcanic and geological setting. Many small earthquakes are detected by monitoring equipment but aren't noticed by residents.
Previous seismic events this year
It's not the first time Tenerife has been rocked by earthquakes this year. In February the island experienced a series of 'earthquake swarms' with more than 6,000 minor tremors recorded in 21 days.
